Pre-Cataclysm Release 3.9 patch... larger stables? Maybe.

[Pent]

http://www.worldofraids.com/topic/17600 ... 9e30fc327b

Patch 3.9 and preparing for Cataclysm's release

Patch 3.9 will introduce the Cataclysm world event, which will begin taking place and culminate a few weeks before the expansion releases, with the Cataclysmic destruction actually taking place at that point.

The new race / class combos and 1-60 content will be available before World of Warcraft: cataclysm launches.

The servers will come down when the event culminates, and when they come back up you'll see the intro cinematic and all of the updated Azeroth will be available.

Blizzard is still trying to decide whether Archaeology will come out before or when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm releases.

80-85 content and the Goblin and Worgen races will not be available until release day.

The bolded line makes me think we might see the new class stuff in 3.9 too.... meaning increased stable slots... hopefully.

[Vephriel]

Hmm, how credible is this source? (can't visit the link at work for some reason -.-)

I would really love for this all to be true, the thought of rolling my Troll Druid and Undead Hunter before Cataclysm is tantalizing. I think I'll wait until I hear something more concrete though. Still, thanks for the heads up!

[Slickrock]

They did something similar with BC, so don't be surprised if we get it this time around. Prior to 3.9 we'll see the fight for the gnome and troll starting zones. (3.8?)

And they have some story to tell before Cata actually happens. So yeah, I would expect this 2-4 weeks before Cata.

[Redith]

as long as they dont do something that lets people mass kill usefull npcs like the trainers or AH guys.
(Pre Lich King mass zombie turn epedemic shudder)

[Pent]

Hmm, how credible is this source? (can't visit the link at work for some reason -.-)

I would really love for this all to be true, the thought of rolling my Troll Druid and Undead Hunter before Cataclysm is tantalizing. I think I'll wait until I hear something more concrete though. Still, thanks for the heads up!

Here is a portion I didn't quote:

Thanks to wow.battlenet.pl, an official Polish fansite, there's a video of the Cataclysm press Q&A that took place at GamesCom 2010. Since they didn't offer an embed option, I'm not going to hog their bandwidth by embedding the video here. I encourage everyone to go check it out!

Q&A Video from GamesCom 2010: http://wow.battlenet.pl/portal/wow/1/79 ... escom.html

I guess if it is coming from Tom Chilton it would be kinda credible.

[Makoes]

hmmm it sounds to me like we will be getting the stable slots before cata, but at the same time as the great upheavel...meaning any pets we want pre-fire and brimestone, we need to get before this patch (like the teal scorpion)

[Vephriel]

hmmm it sounds to me like we will be getting the stable slots before cata, but at the same time as the great upheavel...meaning any pets we want pre-fire and brimestone, we need to get before this patch (like the teal scorpion)

That's the kicker. Even if we do get the big stables before Cata, they'll come hand-in-hand with Azeroth's destruction, so...for those wanting to tame any special pets beforehand it won't really make a difference.

[Sarayana]

I hate to say this but... I told you so. *ducks* Back when we started discussing pets and stable expansion, I kept saying that we'd most likely see the world destruction, new talent trees etc., and stable expansion in the same patch. I would definitely not take the chance and assume the pet I want will be there after that patch.

Blizz did the exact same thing before the other expansions - introduce those changes that everyone will experience (gameplay, ui, landscape, talents, etc.) in a pre-expac patch and leave off content that only owners of the expac will see to the actual launch.

[Zangor]

does this mean you wont need the expansion to play as the new Race/Class combos?

[Pent]

hmmm it sounds to me like we will be getting the stable slots before cata, but at the same time as the great upheavel...meaning any pets we want pre-fire and brimestone, we need to get before this patch (like the teal scorpion)

That's the kicker. Even if we do get the big stables before Cata, they'll come hand-in-hand with Azeroth's destruction, so...for those wanting to tame any special pets beforehand it won't really make a difference.

Yeah, at this point the only skin that I know of that hasn't been found on the beta is the teal scorpid.

There are other skins that are harder to get or you have to be a higher level to get them, but at least they are still in the game.

My personal problem right now is that I found Gondria the other day after dropping every spirit beast except Skoll in order to get the Soriid, Haarka, and the White-brownish Silithid, but now I have Grunter (fingers crossed still), Aotona, Skoll, Oil-stanined Wolf, and Gondria.... My #1 concern at this time is if I find Arcturis before the event... then'll I'll have to decide to either keep what I have or drop Arcturis/Gondria in order to get the only skin going away... the teal scorpid.

As easy as it has been to find Gondria I have no problem ditching him for the third time (yeah... the THIRD TIME) to get the teal scorpid, but if I run across Arcturis (the only one I am really looking for at the moment) the decision might be a little more difficult.

I am scared to give up on any other pet I have right now because either they were too hard to aquire, or their skin "effect" might not be acquirable after the release (or maybe even FIXED before the release [see: Spirit Wolf]...

[Sarayana]

does this mean you wont need the expansion to play as the new Race/Class combos?

No. You definitely need to buy Cata to play them.


Edit: We're still a few months away. I really would not assume Blizz is removing a skin from the game. Most likely they'll be putting them in where we still haven't seen the changes - Silithus perhaps, or the new AQ 5man... But it would really go against Blizz's past actions (and feelings on the matter, I'd think) to remove something from the game like that.

[Vephriel]

I think the part stating "The new race / class combos..." was a bit misleading. At first skim-through I thought they were implying that both new races and classes will be available (which baffled me as everyone needs to have Burning Crusade in order to roll a Blood Elf/Draenei), however on second assessment I think the wording was just poor. The 'combos' at the end leads me to think they only mean they new combinations of pre-existing races with new classes available to them. Undead hunters, Tauren paladins, Troll druids, etc.

[Arwyn]

It looks interesting and it could be viewed as away to lure new players into the game and keep them interested in getting both exp. to go further with their toons and game content.

[Kalliope]

I still don't buy this, but for one reason:

It could just be a bunch of people miswording things, but how can the new 1-60 content be in BEFORE the Cataclysm? It doesn't make sense, since a lot of the changes happen AFTER the land is broken (just look at the Barrens).

Am I missing something here?

[Drazius]

Whats been said is that "Technically" 3.9 will be the cataclysm in that all the world changes/fundamental game additions/new class/race combos will be available.. those who purchase the expansion will have the only access to the new 80+ zones, worgen/goblins and possibly archeology (Chilton said they weren't sure if this would be available for 3.9 or not)

so when 3.9 hits everyone can make an undead hunter and experience the new 1-60 content before the worgen/goblins hit the scene and people start lvling past 80...

[Kalliope]

It's kind of a goofy way of doing things, but then, Cata is a goofy expansion anyway. All right, fair enough.

[Drazius]

true.. but I usually look at an expansion as a lot of new content for those willing/able to pay and a little bit of content(generally updates/changes) that those who don't want to/can't pay for... but this expansion I think is a good balance of stuff that everyone will see for free and then extra stuff for people who purchase... an argument could almost be made that the free stuff outweighs the paying stuff to an extent..

I am in the beta and currently have a 43 worgen warrior and have barely tested any of the 80+ content because I am enjoying testing the revamped old world so much and with so many zones seeing changes even when this goes live I'll still have plenty to experience.

[Kalliope]

Yeah, that's why this is goofy. It seems like we're getting a ton of new content for free, in essence.

This might also explain why we're seeing less development in some of the more specialized areas; Blizzard's taking a huge risk here.

[Pent]

I still don't buy this, but for one reason:

It could just be a bunch of people miswording things, but how can the new 1-60 content be in BEFORE the Cataclysm? It doesn't make sense, since a lot of the changes happen AFTER the land is broken (just look at the Barrens).

Am I missing something here?

I have only watched half of the video (I went out to eat), but from what Chilton has said is pretty much what the site says...

The new race/class part DOES NOT inclue Goblin or Worgen... it means the other classes for old races... like someone already mentioned.

In regarding getting Cataclysm "stuff" for free... we won't be if they do this a week or two before the launch... just because they make the cataclysm happen doesn't mean anyone 78+ can run out to Mt. Hiyjal (spelling?) and Vashj'il.... or play the new two races... or even dabble in archeology. Even if you never buy this expansion you will still see the cataclysm happen in Azeroth... Azeroth will NOT be the same even if you only have Vanillla WoW.

[Kalliope]

In regarding getting Cataclysm "stuff" for free... we won't be if they do this a week or two before the launch... just because they make the cataclysm happen doesn't mean anyone 78+ can run out to Mt. Hiyjal (spelling?) and Vashj'il.... or play the new two races... or even dabble in archeology. Even if you never buy this expansion you will still see the cataclysm happen in Azeroth... Azeroth will NOT be the same even if you only have Vanillla WoW.

Err, that's my point. All of the Azeroth changes will be there. That's FREE. The new zones, races, and single secondary profession are basically all that's coming with Cataclysm itself. This is why Blizzard's focus is on those things, since the rest of it is being handed to us.

No other expansion has been like this. It'll be interesting.